Meghalaya registers protest against Assam police firing

Meghalaya on Sunday registered strong protest against Assam police for firing and injuring a Deputy Superintendent of Police after failing to take cognisance on information provided to them during a counter insurgency operation along the interstate border.

Shillong: Meghalaya on Sunday registered strong protest against Assam police for firing and injuring a Deputy Superintendent of Police after failing to take cognisance on information provided to them during a counter insurgency operation along the interstate border.

"Meghalaya Police have strongly protested against Assam police for failing to take cognisance of information provided to them yesterday resulting in a firing that injured a Deputy Superintendent of Police," Deputy Commissioner in charge of West Jaintia Hills district Donny M Wahlang told PTI.

He said the firing by Assam police was primarily due to a lack of understanding of information shared by Meghalaya police prior to the operation in the area.

DSP Ploster Syiem, who led an operation against Karbi militants in Moolaber area along the interstate border with Assam's Karbi Anglong district, received injuries on his left arm and abdomen when Assam police who had reached the area ahead of their counterparts opened fire mistaking the latter for militants.

Wahlang led a delegation of Meghalaya officials and senior police officers at a meeting at Moolaber in West Jaintia Hills district which was also attended by his counterparts from Assam's Karbi Anglong district today.

Assam's Karbi Anglong district deputy commissioner P Borgohain and Hamren police district SP admitted to the mistake and assured of a close coordination henceforth between district SPs to ensure that no embarrassing incident take place in the future especially in ongoing counter insurgency operations in the area, the deputy commissioner in charge said.

Both Assam and Meghalaya police were engaged in counter insurgency operations against Karbi People's Liberation Tigers (KPLT) militants after local residents complaint of being harassed and extort money by them in the past weeks.

Syiem's condition has improved greatly after he was admitted and operated upon at the North Eastern Indira Gandhi Institute of Health and Medical Sciences near here, doctors said.

The West Jaintia Hills district officials also said they would submit a report to the state government in this regard.